Fated?
by Breea
Summary: A soccer game and some Blaise Zabini throw off Ginny's otherwise good Friday. Then there is her friends talking to Malfoy...what are they up to?
1. On a Hot Summer's Day

A/N: I wanted to write so I sat down and wrote this. I might continue it, I'm not sure. Anyone whose read my stuff knows I'm a Draco/Ginny fan but lately that's lost it's appeal to me. I have a semi direction for where this is going but things change…I hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer: Own: Plot, Don't own: just about everything else

**Fated?**

_On A Hot Summer's Day_

It was a very warm day for September. Even the cooling charms put on the normally drafty castle were not a lot of help; students sat, sweltering, in their classrooms. It was all one could do to not drop one's head on one's desk and just take a nap. Even the Professors seemed to take pity on the students and kept details and discussions down to a minimum. When the last class was finally over, a majority of the school rushed to the lake to hopefully find a stray breeze off the water or take a big risk and jump in the refreshing waters.

It was rather noisy and chaotic around most of the lake. The giant squid kept himself immersed in the deepest part of the water to try and stay cool so the children could use the lake freely. There were two volleyball type games going on, one in the shallow part of the water, the other on the beach; there were plenty of splash fights; one student had even conjured a boogie board and was teaching onlookers how to use it. There were many girls on towels in swimsuits; one pieces, since that was all that was allowed at Hogwarts. The girls were trying to get usefulness out of the sun and hopefully get a nice tan.

Ginny Weasley was one of these girls, sitting amongst some other sixth year Gryffindor girls and a few Ravenclaw girls. Of course, giggling was the top priority and the group was fairing well in that department, mostly about the boys walking around with no shirts on. It wasn't a sight most got to see at Hogwarts.

"Ooh, I never thought of Alex Broomsted as attractive, but look at those arms," Abigail Wintervane cooed, keeping her eyes on the said boy as she raised an eyebrow in appreciation. Ginny giggled along with the rest of the girls but secretly disagreed. No matter how nice his arms were, his nose had a squashed look to it and she always thought of him as resembling a baby pig. Nice guy, definately not dateworthy, however.

"Mmm, Ron's the same way." Pita Miguel nodded her dark head, seeking the boy out with her gaze before realizing who her present company was. Her cheeks visibly warmed and not because of the hot day. "Er, well," she looked apologetically over at Ginny. "I mean, he has been doing well as keeper and it's made his arms really nice, Gin. You can't deny it."

Ginny shook her head and made a face but laughed. "Ew, Pita, he's my brother!" She made a gagging motion before collapsing into another fit of giggles. "No, you can think he's got nice arms or whatever. I just prefer you don't mention it to my face. He will forever be the skinny, uncoordinated, klutz he was when he was seven, to me."

Pita nodded, glad Ginny wasn't mad. Andrea Parks, one of the Ravenclaws, seemed to hardly have paid attention to what the group was saying. Her focus was in the other direction, the direction most Slytherins were gathered in. "I have one for you." She turned her attention back to the group, a knowing smile on her face. "Draco Malfoy."

Ginny groaned. She should have known it was coming. Everyone always mentioned Draco around her, like she should have some sort of crush on him or something. They were bitter enemies. Why would she fall in love with someone who did nothing but cut her and her family down? Really, it made no sense. Other than the fact that he was totally gorgeous and had more money than he knew what to do with, what did he have going for him?

There were mixed reactions from the group, which there usually was. Some girls were disgusted, others were agreeing. Ginny simply shook her head and glanced over toward where Andrea had been looking moments before. She sought out Draco, finding him almost immediately since it was obvious this was one of his first encounters with the sun. He actually had on a white wife beater and to be fair his skin was a few shades darker than his shirt. His arms were well defined (obviously a high point for these girls) and he appeared to have a bit of muscle in all the right places. And Ginny would admit that he did have nice legs, though they needed more interaction with the sun. But still, nice legs or not, he was awfully pale and awfully skinny; not Ginny's type at all.

"Oh, but he has a nice butt." Cindy Gingersnap burst out, drawing Ginny's attention back to the group. Cindy was bright red; she hardly ever spoke and for her to say the word 'butt' was a big deal. Most of the girls gaped at her for a moment before the entire group started laughing yet again. "That he does, my friend." Andrea agreed, looking back over her shoulder toward Draco.

Ginny let her eyes drift back that way too, a smile still on her face from Cindy's outburst. She started when she realized Draco's eyes were looking back in her direction. Ginny immediately let her gaze fall to the ground, hoping to God that he hadn't seen her looking in his direction. Of course, he could have been looking at any one of the girls in her group but she had this irrational fear that it was _her_ in particular he was focused on.

Which was silly, of course. Draco Malfoy _had_ a girlfriend and her name was Tara. She was Slytherin girl, one of the few nice ones that made Ginny wonder what awful thing she did in another life to deserve to be in Slytherin. She wasn't friends with Tara or anything, but she knew the girl had a good heart. Which was weird, because why again would she be with Draco Malfoy? Maybe she wasn't very smart.

Ginny dared to look up again. Draco wasn't looking in her direction anymore. Whew. Well, it wasn't like he would do more than glare anyway. She wasn't sure what she was so worried about. But now, for some reason, her thoughts were swirly and chaotic and she wasn't quite sure why. She tuned back into her friends, hoping to be distracted from her sudden tumultuous mind.

"Seamus Finnigan, now that's one hottie." Abigail was saying and all the girls agreed. Even Ginny agreed with that one, but for some reason, her mind was stuck on Draco Malfoy.


	2. Escape from the Norm

A/N: Whoo hoo! 4 reviews! Thanks guys. This is kinda just whipped off the top of my head at midnight. My older stuff is much better I think. Oh well, this is all about having fun anyway. Hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: Don't own, yada yada. Tara Costigan is not mine, either, I borrowed her from a friend from an RPG. I'm sure she won't mind…

**Fated?**

_Escape from the Norm_

As the week went on, the temperature dropped until finally it was at its chilly, September norm. Fall was in the air and Ginny was unhappy. First off, she loved the sun. With the right suntan charm, she got to a very nice light tan during the summer; definitely an upgrade from the paleness of before. It also hid some of her freckles which she would forever loath until she could get rid of them. Her mom thought they were endearing but after graduation they would be gone.

It was a Friday and while most people hated Mondays, Ginny hated Fridays. It was so close to the weekend that she never felt like going to classes and she tended to have a problem getting up on time and getting motivated. Pulling her shoulder-length hair back into a sloppy pony tail she glanced around her dorm room. All the other girls were gone, probably at breakfast, which Ginny had by far missed. She was grateful for the silence, however, and took her time getting ready.

Ginny was beginning to think life was pretty boring. Day in and day out, all she did was go to classes and gossip with her friends. She was becoming more and more distant with Ron and Hermione and defiantly with Harry. She had had the courage to ask him out in the middle of her 5th year, after he had come to terms, at least to a degree, with what happened to Sirius. He had been acting fairly normal and Ginny decided to take the risk and make the first move.

The relationship started off well, as relationships went. Until the first kiss. After that, Harry avoided her like the plague. Ginny got the hint that he was uncomfortable with the whole boyfriend/girlfriend thing so after 3 days of no Harry she was ready to admit it was a mistake and call it quits. Of course, finding Harry to let him know proved to be a challenge but eventually she did and ended things amicably. Yet still, to this day, he avoided her as much as possible. The boy had some serious issues he needed to work through.

So now it was gossip, learn, gossip, learn, day in and day out. It was _boring_ and besides, she really didn't like doing either of those things. She thought having a boy in it might spice things up. It would definitely complicate things. But which boy? That was the question.

_Draco Malfoy_. The thought popped into her head from no where. Spinning around, she swore someone must have said it in her ear. Nope, no one in the dorm but her. Damn that Andrea Parks, _she_ planted those words in her head. That conversation from the beach the other day had been on Ginny's mind a lot lately, though for the life of her she couldn't figure out why.

Taking the steps two at a time, she flung her bag over her head so the strap crossed over her and jet through the empty common room. She was going to be early for class but it was okay because she needed to talk to Professor McGonagall about her courses for the next term anyway. She passed by a lot of students headed in the other direction, some calling hellos to her which she returned with a half hearted smile. Her mind was still on other matters.

Heading down the transfiguration hallway, she thought she was alone until she heard quick footsteps heading toward her. Stopping, she started to turn around when someone grabbed her arm and pulled her into an empty classroom. "Oof!" Ginny grunted ungracefully as the person yanked her aside to close the door quietly. Long blond hair and green Slytherin robes. Tara Costigan, Draco's girlfriend, had Ginny Weasley cornered.

"Shh!" Tara waved a hand at Ginny to keep it down, though Ginny had made no other noise than her initial grunt. Frowning, the redhead watched as Tara peeked through the tiny crack she made by opening the door slightly. Just as quickly, she shut the door quietly and put her back to it, facing the room with an upset look.

Footsteps could be heard on the other side of the door; heavy footsteps. They grew louder then started to fade, never pausing in their stride. Tara had apparently been holding her breath because she let it out all at once in a long, slow breath. Gathering herself, she looked over toward Ginny. "Thank you for keeping quiet." She smiled, standing straight and smoothing her robes. "That was close."

Ginny's curiosity by this point was getting the best of her. Shifting her weight she returned Tara's smile with half of one. "So what was that all about?" She asked, figuring she had a right to know since she'd been pulled into the mess.

"Oh, that was Pansy Parkinson." Tara wrinkled her nose at the name. "She's been on my case for most of the year. I try to avoid her whenever possible." Lowering her voice to a whisper, though no once else was around to hear her, Tara added, "I don't like her much."

Ginny had to giggle, at least a bit. "Join the club." She agreed.

"I'm sorry I grabbed you, I just didn't want you giving away that I was here by accident. Pansy, well, she kinda scares me. She's been threatening me about this whole Draco thing-"

"Draco?" Ginny cut in, mildly surprising herself. She knew Tara and Draco were dating and it really shouldn't be something that Ginny even cared about but the name left her mouth before she could stop it. "Er, Draco thing? What Draco thing?"

Tara was giving her a weird look but smiled nonetheless. "Well, Draco and I are kind of dating. I mean, as much dating as one can do at Hogwarts." She shrugged, looking to the door again before back at Ginny. "Pansy is a little jealous. I think she wanted Draco all to herself."

"Oh," was all Ginny could come up with. What Tara was saying made sense; Pansy and Draco had always seemed to be close until Tara showed up last year. Of course anyone would be mad if they thought someone was encroaching on their territory and Draco had always been Pansy's territory. At least, on the outside, that's how it always looked.

"So, anyway, thanks again for being quiet. Are you headed to Transfig?" Tara asked while peeking out the door to make sure the coast was clear.

"Yeah." Ginny nodded, following the blond into the hallway.

"Well, I'll walk with you, since I'm headed that way too." Tara offered, falling into step next to Ginny.

Again, the Gryffindor wondered how Tara could have ever been placed into Slytherin. Ginny kept her guard up, despite how nice the girl seemed. "Alright."

Before they could walk more than five steps their way was blocked by someone. "Excuse you," Ginny said automatically before looking up into the very beautiful, very cold eyes of Draco Malfoy. "Oh, er-" _Wow, Gin, very articulate lately, aren't we?_ She thought to herself with a mental kick to her own head.

"Draco!" Tara seemed just as surprised as Ginny to see him in the hallway. "What are you doing down here?" She took a step toward him so she was closer to him than Ginny.

"I saw Pansy follow you out of the common room. I was," Draco flipped his gaze from Tara to Ginny momentarily before looking back to his girlfriend. "Concerned."

"Aw, thanks for looking out for me." Tara grinned, linking her arm in his. "Though I can take care of myself, thank you very much." The blond threw Ginny a wink as a goodbye before steering Draco away, toward class. Draco frowned but allowed himself to be escorted without a backward glance.

Ginny was still standing in the middle of the hallway, staring. What in the hell just happened? The past ten minutes or so were a complete blur, ending with those searing gray eyes scorched into her memory. And despite herself, she found herself liking Tara but being insanely jealous of her at the same time. Jealous? _Jealous_? Because of Malfoy? Maybe a quick detour to the hospital wing was in order; Ginny was suddenly not feeling so well.

"Amusing, aren't they?" A voice in her ear startled her, bringing her back to the reality that the hallway was quickly filling and she was going to be late, rather than early, to class. She turned to see who the unfamiliar voice belonged to.

Sighing, she rolled her eyes to the ceiling, wondering just what she had done to surround herself with so many Slytherins on this dreadful day.

"You know what I mean, don't you? They are so different, yet they get along so well." Shrugging, Blaise Zabini looked from the direction that Draco and Tara headed back to Ginny. "I think she's good for him."

"Why are you talking to me?" Ginny asked, shoving her fists on her hips and turning to face him, wondering what the catch was.

"Because I want to," Blaise responded as if it should have been the most obvious thing in the world. His smile had some sort of flirtatious undertone that was making Ginny very squirmy. How could he look at her like that when he hardly even knew her?

"Well," Ginny started but before she could finish Abigail showed up, smiling at both of them.

"Just who I was looking for! Ginny, we're going to be late."

"Ladies," Blaise nodded politely at them as a goodbye and disappeared into the growing crowd.

"Just in time, Abby." Ginny breathed a sigh of relief.

"Yea, he cornered me once too. He's very charming and _very_ dangerous." Abigail giggled, linking her arm in Ginny's. They headed toward McGonagall's classroom and by the time they slid into their seats, Ginny's morning seemed like a far off dream.

Later on, before lights out, Ginny sat in the dorm room on her bed, reflecting on her day. She was so used to the same old boring routine that she was actually glad for the little bit of excitement today, however small it had been. The most surprising part, she concluded, was when she saw the concern in Draco's eyes for someone other than himself. He'd always seemed too selfish and uncaring but it was obvious he cared for Tara.

Maybe even more surprising, was Ginny's gut reaction to that knowledge. She was more than just jealous; she wanted to be in Tara's place. No, she wasn't suddenly homicidal, but she did want that feeling that Tara had to be having. And she couldn't get Draco out of her mind. It was maddening, really.

Heaving a huge sigh she leaned over to flip off the light, crawled under her covers and wished for sleep; sleep and dreams that didn't involve one silver haired Slytherin boy who wouldn't get off her mind.

**A/N:** I dunno, is this boring?


	3. The Game

Disclaimer: Um, reading this, I really don't own much besides the plot. All characters are based on friends' characters from RPGs or canon. Wow, convenient. :)

A/N: Not a lot of plot, just a little fun!

**Fated?**

_The Game_

It was about a week after Ginny's first run in with Tara Costigan and the day before the first Hogsmeade visit of the year. As usual, the common room was abuzz for a week with excitement about getting away from the castle and its grounds. Normally Ginny loved Hogsmeade and the opportunity to hang out with her friends but the thought of the all wizarding town was currently making her nauseous. She couldn't quite put her finger on why.

Friday afternoon was sunny but there was still a chill in the air from the constant rain the two days before. Seamus Finnigan, the school sport nut, was on the front lawns trying to organize a football match for a large group of students. There seemed to be representatives from each house; girls and guys alike. Not afraid of a little sweat and dirt and definitely needing a release of energy, Ginny wandered over to join in, despite the cries of protest from Abby and Andrea. Let them be girly girls; Ginny was ready to knock some boys down.

Seamus had curly blond hair and friendly blue eyes. Ginny knew this because of the huge crush she had on him after her stint with Harry Potter. Since then, though, Ginny and Seamus had become just friends, though her heart did always flutter a bit when he was around. He had that slender, athletic build and really nice arms and the cutest crooked grin…Ginny had to stop her train of thought before she began blushing uncontrollably.

"Alright, it's decided then," He called out in his thick Irish accent, running his hand through his hair to keep it back from his face. "Boys against the girls."

"Ya!" Terran Nimphel, a fifth year Slytherin girl cheered, apparently having gotten her way. Of course, since she and Seamus were kind of an item, it wasn't all too surprising for those gathered. "Girls, over here!"

Ginny sighed, following the group of girls to their "side." Terran wasn't a particularly nice Slytherin and Ginny had a hard time getting along with her. Basically, Terran was one of those girls that got along with any cute boy but had a hard time hanging around girls. She was very competitive, especially when it came to boys, and apparently when it came to sports.

"Alright, they are going to try and be gentlemen at first and that's going to be our tactic: to surprise the hell out of them and _not_ be ladies." Terran looked at each girl in turn, making sure her point was very clear. Ginny nodded along with the rest of them, thinking it might actually be a good strategy for their first couple plays.

As the team spread out, she took the opportunity to scope out who her opponents were. There was Seamus, right in the middle of everything. Dean Thomas and Harry Potter were over talking strategy with Terry Boot and another Ravenclaw boy. Harry was gesturing wildly and Terry looked terrified. Neville was goalie and looked very nervous and very small in front of the net Seamus had conjured. There were a couple Slytherin boys gathered together too. No Draco Malfoy but there was a Blaise Zabini. Ginny frowned when he looked in her direction but he flashed her a winning grin. Ginny simply looked away, before she could find herself grinning back.

"Here we go! Andrea, be a love and come drop this ball so we can start," Seamus called to Ginny's friend who blanched at the thought of being caught in the middle of what was sure to be a mud bath.

"I'll do it from here, thanks." Andrea whipped out her wand and levitated the ball with a quick spell. Everyone got into their positions and waited for their cue. With a flip of Andrea's wrist the ball dropped and the chaos began.

The girls' strategy worked for all of two goals. Terran had been right and the boys hesitated to push the girls around, giving them opportunity to whisk around and pass or score pretty easily. Seamus was screaming from the start to "Stop them! They're just girls, they won't break!" but it wasn't until the second goal that the boys started listening to him. Then, it was on.

Ginny was pretty aggressive, growing up in a household of boys, and she knew how to hold her own. Terran was a ball hog though and got shoved out of the way before she decided to pass it to anyone. Ginny was getting pretty muddy, along with some other girls. The boys were mostly covered head to toe, even Blaise Zabini whom Ginny couldn't remember the last time he wasn't looking absolutely perfect.

Finally, she got an opportunity to score. She got the ball and drove down the field, shoving a Ravenclaw seventh year boy out of her way in the process. Ginny scored just as Seamus reached her and tackled her. "Hey!" Ginny protested with a smile from the ground. "Since when was this full contact football?" She asked, taking his proffered hand to help her up.

"Since I make the rules," Seamus winked at her, taking the ball and heading back to the middle of the field. "Nice shot," He called back over his shoulder.

Ginny smiled and sought out her friends in the sidelines. Her stomach dropped when she finally found them. Andrea and Abby had been joined by Draco Malfoy; Tara was no where to be seen. The three were sitting on a blanket by a tree and talking rather animatedly. None of them were paying attention to the game and Ginny was suddenly dying to know what they were talking about. And why in the heck Draco Malfoy was sitting with a Gryffindor and a Ravenclaw. Wouldn't that be bad for his image?

"C'mon, Weasley, we're waiting on you." A voice called, snapping Ginny back to reality. Shaking herself a bit, she started jogging back to her side, calling out an apology.

Much to her surprise, Blaise was there, ready to guard her. She glared at him, wondering what his problem was. Why was he suddenly everywhere she was? "Jealous, Ginny?" He asked her as simply as if he were asking what time it was. Ginny frowned at him but didn't respond. Was she jealous?

Just then the play started and Ginny had no choice but to concentrate on the game, and that meant Blaise. She tried to keep him covered but it really wasn't a hard job considering that he didn't move around much. It was like he was trying to make her job easy. And it was annoying her.

Finally, the ball was no where near them so Ginny whirled around. "What's your deal, Blaise?" She demanded.

"What do you mean?" He looked mildly confused but still had on that ever cocky grin.

"I mean, why are you suddenly nice to me? Talking to me? We've gone to school together for six years and you've never once even looked at me before. So I'm asking, what's your deal?" She repeated, fists on hips, glaring.

Blaise shrugged, looking incredibly comfortable standing out in the middle of a soccer field, covered in mud and out of his usual element. Could nothing ruffle this guy's feathers?

"That's it?" Ginny asked, shrugging her shoulders mockingly. He had an easy time of getting under her skin. Suddenly, before he could respond, she was knocked in the back of the head, apparently by the ball flying her way. She stumbled none too gracefully forward, right into Blaise who caught her before she fell on her butt. She was a bit dazed but all right. When she realized where she was she scrambled away from him but didn't miss the satisfied look he was giving her.

"Weasley! I told you 'heads up!' Usually when someone calls that, you're supposed to be ready for the ball." Terran was grumbling as the time out was called to see if she was injured. Good to know her teammates were concerned for her welfare. "I think you should sit down so we can continue our game." The brunette added, crossing her arms and looking at Ginny pointedly. The girl was a tiny thing but she was still intimidating. Ginny nodded and headed toward her friends, ignoring Blaise altogether.

When she reached them she realized Draco was gone. In her anger she had forgotten he was even over there until she saw he was missing.

"I told you not to play." Andrea tsked, moving aside so Ginny could sit down and the mud wouldn't get near her. Ginny just rolled her eyes, rubbing her head where the ball hit it.

"It was fine until that Blaise Zabini character decided to push my buttons. He distracted me." She grumbled, sending him a glare for good measure. Andrea laughed but Abigail frowned.

"I think he's up to something." Abby replied, her gaze following Ginny's to Blaise. "He's been weird since that time you talked in the hallway. I've noticed him around."

"So he likes you, Ginny, is that anything to worry about?" Andrea asked them both. "I mean, he's hot, if you like that tall, Italian, confident sort. I prefer mine blond." Andrea's eyes skimmed the crowd of ball players until her eyes landed on Seamus with a little smile. Ginny watched as Andrea's eyes drifted over toward Draco who was now on the other side of the field, standing with Tara. Andrea's smile faded a bit.

"And, apparently, taken." Ginny added wryly, smiling at Abby.

Andrea shrugged, agreeing. "True. My taste is good, just a little too late." Sighing she grinned at the two girls. "It's not like they're married, anyway. I still have hope."

"Speaking of," Ginny started, meaning to ask about why they had been talking to Draco. Instead, the ball in play flew toward them, bouncing once in the middle of them before up and over Abby's head. The three girls let out yelps of surprise before exchanging looks of uncertainty.

"C'mon." Andrea said, standing and gathering her things. "You're a ball magnet, Gin. We should get out of here." Giving Ginny a once over she added. "And clean you up. You look a mess."

Ginny followed Andrea and Abby back toward the castle, thinking she was probably right. She couldn't help but look back over her shoulder at Draco and Tara one last time. It seemed they, too, were leaving, in the opposite direction Ginny and her friends were going. About to turn back, something out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. Looking closer she realized Blaise was watching her leave, a smile on his face. He gave her a little wave. Sending him a glare, she turned back and hurried to catch up with her friends.


End file.
